Still Alive... A Few Thoughts

Happy New Year!  Welcome to 2014.

I haven't written much lately, it's been almost a month.  Chalk it up to busy holidays and not much to say that other geneabloggers were not already covering in sufficient quantities.

And chalk it up to a lack of inspiration, I guess.  I'm still working my lines, mostly by filling in citations and adding documentation to existing people in my tree, but with some occasional additions.  Of most note for that has been working the US Censuses to document people.  I find often enough that when I look at the Census entry or a person, I've missed one or more people from their family.

If you're relatively new to genealogy and still discovering a lot of people in your ancestry, you should strongly consider taking the time to do the documentation up front, as you find people.  I know it's exciting to discover more and more names, tracing your lines back further into history!  I got sucked into that, too. But there comes a point when you reach the end of what's relatively easy to discover, and you start looking for something to make your genealogy better.  That's where the documentation process often starts.  You read other blogs and see how much supporting data others have on their lines, then look at yours and wonder how they got all of that information you're missing...

That's when you go back and start looking at where you can possibly find all of that.  And if you're new to genealogy, you're doing about 99% of it online.  Most of the oldtimers did it all with pencil and paper, and books, and writing letters to various local, state and federal record holders, paying for photocopies to be sent through the postal system.  Snail mail.  Those folks will tell you that the vast majority of records are still not online, that you're missing a lot of information despite the treasure troves you're finding.  And they're right, despite the torrid pace of digitization efforts everywhere.

Then there are the ones who tell you in no uncertain terms that you MUST cite your sources!  And you should use (a particular) format!  Well, yes, you really should cite your sources.  After all, citation lets people follow the trail to the document or source so they can also use it, or verify your material.  But you really don't have to use a particular format.  You should at least make it as clear as possible. 

At least you have the advantage of modern computers and software.  And the genealogy software makers have been getting the hint, and making it easier to record citations, easier to find them in the first place.  The online services like Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com and the like have been adding records at a furious pace, and making a simple checkbox all it takes to add a citation to the records you find.

Ah, well, I'm rambling.  But that's where I am, back to filling in the blanks, seeking the documentation I rushed past in my haste to get more names, more dates.  Genealogy is never entirely done!  And I'd hope to see you avoid my mistakes, if you could.  Treat it like the research it truly is, do the work and find the documents, cite your sources.  That way you don't have to go back over it a third or fourth time, adding stuff you didn't bother to look for the first couple of times.



This and all other articles on this blog are © copyright 2013 by Daniel G. Dillman

Open Thread Thursday - Genealogy Societies

This week’s topic for Open Thread Thursday is:

In a post- RootsTech genealogy world, what steps do genealogy societies need to take to appear relevant to and a necessary resource for the changing genealogy community?

Okay.  I'm not sure how much room I have to talk on this one, as I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of a genealogy or historical society.

Maybe that fact, in itself, is my opening.  I have never felt a real draw to become a member of said societies.  Why not?  Well, first and foremost, I never saw a huge benefit for doing so.  I've always been among the youngest of people I knew who were doing genealogy.  Even in the association researching my surname, I'm the young guy who handles a lot of the technology.  Not all, as some of those association folks are pretty savvy, but a good chunk, especially while at association gatherings.  Genealogy Societies always looked to me like a bunch of stodgy old geezers who would laugh me out because I chose to do as much as possible electronically, and was more focused on finding ancestors than fully, properly documenting and citing my sources.

I'll admit I do need to do more work on my documentation, and I'm working on that, but I'm sticking to my guns in doing as much as possible in electronic formats.  I don't have space for linear yards of paper documentation.  I don't have time and money to traipse all over the country collecting hard copy documentation.  I don't have money to send to NARA or wherever (some at up to $27 per copy!) for documents.  I've gone so far as to order a copy of my paternal grandfather's military records, but that's probably going to be it for the foreseeable future.  If I were going to join a society, it would probably be the New England Historic Genealogical Society as I have ancestry that was prominent in early New England.

I'll admit I need to do a lot of work on my source citations, and I have been avidly reading Randy Seaver's and James Tanner's blogs about the subject.  I'm rather hoping the people working on a better GEDCOM (whether that be BetterGEDCOM or something else) will come up with a viable new standard, and the software vendors will support it, such that our citations will not be lost or mangled in transfers.  I'm hoping those same vendors will improve their software to make it not only easier to do proper citations, but aggressively assist users in doing so. 

That said, I still don't see a huge benefit to joining one of these societies.  Is it really worth it for the periodical newsletter?  DO they also have databases I could then access electronically?  Are they actively pursuing technological ways and means?  Or are they all hidebound old codgers who can't be bothered to learn computers?

Are you a member?  Of which one(s)?  How has it benefited you?  Please see if you can give me a convincing argument in favor of joining in the comments below!